


Playing Games

by DesertVixen



Category: G.I. Joe (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-15
Updated: 2017-06-15
Packaged: 2018-11-14 08:50:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11204571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesertVixen/pseuds/DesertVixen
Summary: Falcon and Scarlett have a mission together





	Playing Games

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Maeve_of_Winter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maeve_of_Winter/gifts).



This whole mission had seemed much easier back at headquarters, Falcon thought as he watched Scarlett take aim with the rocket launcher she had found. He hoped she was as good with the shoulder-fired weapon as she was with her crossbow – they needed a little good luck.

There was a series of rather satisfactory explosions, and a sudden lack of laser fire from the helicopter full of COBRA troops that had been harassing them for the last ten minutes. Scarlett must have scored a hit, but he didn’t have time to look. He was too busy trying to keep the young man lying on the ground in front of him alive. 

They had not come all this way just to fail.

Falcon had done the best he could with the injuries he could see, but it was the possibility of internal bleeding that had him worried. There was no doubt the kid needed a real doctor and a real hospital, and probably a real operating room.

“And this was such a nice vacation spot too,” Scarlett quipped as she knelt by him. The pristine white beach and sparkling blue water didn’t look so inviting now, not with the smoking rubble of the helicopter and the scattering of bodies.

“We’ll have to have a serious chat with our travel agent when we get home,” Falcon shot back.

They would get home, and this would be just another mission story.

Falcon refused to acknowledge any other possibility.

Scarlett laid a hand on his shoulder, just for a moment. “How is he?”

“Stable but unconscious. Possible internal bleeding.”

“Unconsciousness might be his best option right now,” Scarlett said with a frown. “It looks like you’ve done everything you could. Hopefully our ride will be here soon.”

“You fixed the jamming issue?” The jamming had seriously complicated their mission, the first sign that it was going to be harder than they had originally thought.

“There’s very few problems that can’t be fixed by a well-placed grenade,” Scarlett said, flashing him a quick grin. “The bad news is that with the exception of the helicopter crew, anyone involved with COBRA left like snakes deserting a sinking ship.” She blew out an annoyed breath. “I collected what info there was, but it’s not much.”

That did help Falcon’s mood, but he wasn’t going to stop worrying until they could get the young man some real medical attention. There was a part of him that could sympathize with the kid – he had been misguided, but he had been trying to find his own way, trying to impress someone he respected.

Falcon knew all about that. Luckily, for him, it had worked out a little better.

*** *** 

TWO WEEKS AGO

Falcon and Scarlett studied the picture of a young man on the briefing room screen. Falcon thought he looked like someone had sent down to Central Casting for a “California playboy”, or a Ken doll. The young man had medium-brown hair, blue eyes set off by a perfect tan, and stood on the beach next to his black Porsche with no shirt and stylish sunglasses pushed up on his head.

“You need us to rescue Bruce Patman?” Scarlett said with a laugh. “Let me get my swimsuit packed.”

“You’ll definitely want your bikini,” Duke said, almost cracking a smile. “This is Michael Channing. I don’t think I need to tell you why you should care.”

They shook their heads. The Channings were a powerful family in the western United States, and Senator Robert Channing III was the head of the Senate military committee. He also sat on a committee that got much less press, but had a great deal of influence when it came to funding programs like the GI Joe team – programs that the good Senator had been making noises about defunding.

“We have good reason to believe that Michael Channing has become involved in a program that COBRA is involved with. Ostensibly, it’s a new idea for a reality show, sort of a Survivor theme.”

“COBRA looking to get into reality TV?” Scarlett said with a laugh. “I hope it’s better than their foray into music.”

Duke nodded. “The majority of the “contestants” are all related to people with plenty of money and power, although Channing seems like their biggest fish. There’s also been a confirmed sighting of someone we all know too well.”

Another picture, this of a young woman with a hard face and killer body in her skimpy pink bikini, matching her short cropped hair, came on the screen. 

“Zarana,” Scarlett said. “And if she’s involved, then Zartan and the rest of the Dreadnoks aren’t far behind.”

“Intel indicates that Major Bludd may also be a player,” Duke said. “Oddly enough, Destro and the Baroness seem to be keeping their distance.”

“She’s not a fan of Zartan,” Scarlett said absently. “His mercenary ambitions tend to get in the way of her plans.”

“I hear he gets paid by the hour,” Falcon chimed in.

“The mission is to go down there and find out what’s going on,” Duke explained. “One of you gets close to Channing, and the other focuses on getting the details of the operation, so we can handle it.”

He didn’t need to tell them the importance of saving Senator Channing’s son from himself.

*** *** 

So they’d joined the crowd and played the game, pretending to be bored rich kids with some athletic skills. Originally, the plan had called for Scarlett to gain Channing’s trust, but Falcon had actually been able to establish a better rapport. He could understand a little of what the kid was going through. Falcon had spent a lot of time trying to win his older brother’s approval, but at least Duke had never stood in his way. It seemed like any ideas Michael had expressed were only shot down. Instead, he had decided to embrace everything his father disliked, and gone for the playboy life. It was a shame, because he was smart, and Falcon liked to think that some of his hints about making himself useful might have sunk in.

With Falcon doing most of the baby-sitting, Scarlett had done most of the scouting. The mission had been going smoothly enough, until they had woken up one morning to find COBRA troops everywhere around them. Most of the contestants had allowed themselves to be herded into a holding area, but Channing and three others had decided to fight. He hadn’t been doing a bad job of it, either, for someone with no real training. Falcon had to give him points for bravery if not for brains, especially since trying to take on COBRA troops was the cause of the kid ending up unconscious and bleeding on the ground. 

The sound of the helicopter fifteen minutes later was a very welcome one. Falcon watched as Joes poured off the helicopter and took charge of the situation. Flint and Lady Jaye were herding former contestants onto the Tomahawk, while Doc and Lifeline took charge of Channing.

Duke approached Falcon and Scarlett as they stood watching the scene. “Not a bad job, you two.”

Falcon frowned. “It could have gone better.”

“It could have gone a lot worse, too,” Duke said quietly. “Doc thinks Channing’s chances are pretty good once they get him to a hospital, and I think we can safely assume Senator Channing won’t be trying to defund us again for at least a little while.”

Falcon walked to the helicopter, lost in thought. He wondered just how much trouble he might get in if he stopped by the hospital and had a chat with him. It might be worth taking a chance on him, Falcon decided.

Falcon knew all about that too.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! I wanted to do something a little light and mission-ish, and give Scarlett and Falcon a chance to hang out.
> 
> There are a few references to in-series stuff, as well as a few name drops indicating my choices of 80s reading material and TV shows.


End file.
